Mental Health - Resources
See also: Suicide
Resources related to mental health that will assist practitioners, managers and service providers in their work and/or provide information and resources for families and family members. Suggestions for inclusions are always welcome at afrc@aifs.gov.au.
Australian Drug Foundation
A range of information on drug use for workers, individuals and families.
Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health (AusEinet)
Auseinet assists a range of sectors to implement mental health promotion and illness prevention approaches in their respective settings. The website provides up-to-date information, practical resources, an online journal, workforce development tools and an alert service, amongst many other features. The site has separate sections on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and consumer/carer information.
Beyondblue: The national depression initiative
Beyondblue aims to increase community awareness of depression. The website provides an enormous amount of information on depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, with resources, research reports, information on projects, symptom checklists and links.
BluePages
A comprehensive online source of information about depression, including symptoms of depression and how it is diagnosed, summaries of medical, psychological and alternative treatments that work for depression (and those that don't) and an extensive list of people, organisations, books, web-sites, and other resources that may be helpful to people who are depressed.
COPMI - Children of Parents with a Mental Illness
COPMI provides information and access to resources, support programs and tips for family members across Australia where a parent has a mental illness and for people who care for, and work with, them. The resources are accessible through the website.
COPMI also works with the media, researchers, educators, service organisations, consumers, carers and others.
DepressionNet
Resources to locate help and healthcare professionals as well as information about causes, symptoms and various treatment options in managing depression.
Mental health and wellbeing: Australian Government initiatives
This site hosts information on the Australian Government's role and contributions to mental health reform activities in Australia.
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate professional treatment is received or until the crisis resolves. The course is a 12-hour course developed in 2000 by Betty Kitchener and Professor Tony Jorm with the aim to improve the mental health literacy of members of the Australian community, and is conducted throughout Australia.
Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA)
MMHA provides national leadership in building greater awareness of mental health and suicide prevention amongst Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. MMHA actively promotes the mental health and wellbeing of Australia's diverse communities through a series of campaigns, projects and information fact sheets. MMHA also produces a series of resources and training for specialist and mainstream mental health professionals.
Post-trauma Resources
The Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health has released a range of resources for health practitioners, educators, researchers and anyone interested in posttraumatic mental health. These include guidelines for treatment, fact sheets and a booklet for war veterans.
SANE Australia
SANE supports education and research in mental health, with factsheets, information, resources, extensive links, guides for families and people with mental illnesses, stories, etc.
Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit Education and Professional Development Program
The VTPU is a statewide unit which supports area mental health and psychiatric disability support services in working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) consumers and carers throughout Victoria.
Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit Service Development Program
The aim of the Service Development program is to support mental health services to provide culturally relevant services to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds by providing systemic consultancy.